ButteredPopcorn.net

(Photo credit: Gizmodo.com)

I came across a very geeky and interesting post on Gizmodo today, and I had to share it with everyone here on butteredpopcorn.net. This Giz post explains the technical details of IMAX film (as well as standard 35mm movie film), and how movies are transfered over to the awesome IMAX format. So now you can say you technically know why IMAX is as awesome as it is.  Enjoy!

Full Gizmodo post HERE!

Not everyone is a Star Trek fan. And many (Star Wars fans, I’m looking at you!) have purposefully avoided anything Star Trek related, for fear of having their Hyperspace Membership revoked and their “I Love George Lucas” t-shirts taken away. But regardless of where your sci-fi allegiance lies, there is no denying what J.J. Abrams has managed to accomplish with the recently released Star Trek film.

I grew up as a MAJOR Star Wars fan, but I also appreciated the view of the possible future that Star Trek offered us. Sure, the TV series was a little hokie at times (o.k., a lot of times!), but it definitely broke new ground in the world of Sci-Fi and created a cult classic with characters that everyone remembers. But as the franchise grew and expanded, it lost some steam. And eventually offered fans little to look forward to. It became very apparent that the Star Trek franchise was in dire need of a refresh.

Rejoice, Trekkies! J.J. Abrams has managed to successfully refresh the franchise in a way that cherishes the same characters, but yet redefines their presence in the Star Trek universe. Some relationships remain the same, while others take on a whole new direction. All the while maintaining the original storyline that we’ve come to love over the years. Confusing? Well, at first glance it might seem so. But Abrams is a master of storytelling, and never once asks the audience to reject the Star Trek they’ve always known. See the movie and you’ll know what I mean. Continue reading ‘REVIEW: J.J. Abrams refreshes ‘Star Trek’ by boldly going where it hasn’t gone before.’

X-Men Origins: Wolverine hit theaters this past weekend, taking in $87 million. But did it live up to the hype?

First let me say, as should be said for all comic book-based movies, do not go into the theater expecting the script to exactly mirror the original story in the comics. You have to go in with an open (and blank) mind about the origins of one of Marvel’s most beloved characters – Wolverine. From the origins of his adamantium claws, to his relationship with Victor Creed (aka Sabertooth, played by Liev Schreiber) and Col. William Stryker (Danny Huston), to the source of his memory loss in the earlier X-Men films, it’s all addressed in this origins film.

But on the flip side, there is still something that did not sit well with me after seeing this film. If Wolverine and Sabertooth had such a complicated and yet tightly knit past in this film, why doesn’t the Sabertooth character in the previous X-Men films continue his personal quest to battle Wolverine with a passion? The Sabertooth character in the X-Men films seems to barely recognize Wolverine. This film does give an explanation as to why Wolverine seems distant from Sabertooth in that he suffered amnesia. But Sabertooth did not. What gives?

Continue reading ‘REVIEW: For what it is, ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ satisfies.’

UPDATE!: After originally scheduling the movie event for Sun. May 10, 2009, I realized that May 10 is Mother’s Day. It appears that this will pose a scheduling conflict for most people, so I have changed the date to Saturday, May 9, 2009. I apologize to anyone who is inconvenienced by this change, especially those of you who have to work on Saturdays. But overall, this looks like a better day for most people. For those who can’t make it, don’t worry. It’s only the beginning of the Summer movie season and there will definitely be more events coming up soon!

It’s official!

Star Trek is coming to the Commodore Theatre, starting Thursday May 7, 2009. And of course, this means that it’s time to schedule another movie event at the Commodore!

Last year, we had a lot of fun with the Iron Man and Dark Knight movie events, and it looks like this year is going to be just as fun. For those of you who haven’t been to the Commodore, I strongly recommend that you make the effort to see this movie at this excellent theatre. It is by far the best theatre in the Hampton Roads area, including a comfortable dining environment and topped off with a huge screen and THX-certified sound system.  It is a true theatre expereince as it should be. The sound system alone makes it well worth it, due to the combination of an excellent sound system and true theatre acoustics.

Also, the prices are a bit lower than the standard cineplexes we see today.

So here are the details…

WHAT: Star Trek

WHEN: Sunday, May 10, 2009 Saturday, May 9, 2009

2:00 p.m. (You MUST be at the theatre at 1:00 p.m. for seating and to allow time to order food!)

WHERE: The Commodore Theatre

421 High Street

Portsmouth, VA 23704

HOW MUCH?: $7.00 / person, children 10-13 $6.00, children under 10 NOT admitted.

As usual, I will be volunteering myself to stand in line to get tickets for those interested in attending. However, keep in mind that they only allow 8 tickets to be sold to each individual. So if you have a large party that wishes to attend, I may need another volunteer to stand in line with me. Tickets are not sold ahead of time and are not sold online.  So the only way to get tickets is to stand in line early on the day of the show. If you are interested in attending, please email me at lance@butteredpopcorn.net and let me know.  I will also need to collect money from you for the tickets that you need ahead of time. Cash only, please!

For more information about the Commodore Theatre, the menu, or directions, please click HERE!

For a Google Map of the Commodore Theatre’s location, click HERE!

Trust me, you DO NOT want to miss this one! I hope everyone can make it. It’s going to be a great time.  See you there.